Maps, Compass, GPS, protractor and navigation gear should be part of your preps, especially if you are “bugging out”.
As others have posted, freeways can slow to a crawl and even stop all together. In addition, once “stopped” you are thrown together with all sorts of people - some of which you may not like the look of.
For these reasons, unless I had been reading fluwiki and knew I was hours ahead of the rest of the population, I would never, ever, get on the freeway with the rest of the herd. I have always planned to take the back roads and avoid “choke points” wherever possible.
If you want to do this, you should have detailed maps that extend way past your expected destination, because you never know what detours you may have to make, and you don’t want your memory letting you down. You should also make sure that you can navigate properly with and without a GPS.
You should also plan your route well in advance, including alternates, and make sure you have as many options as possible. In my case I live on a coastal plain and the choke points are the major roads leading over a dividing range to get inland. There is a huge network of minor roads, firebreak roads and logging tracks that will get you across the mountains - if you know where they are, and most of them aren’t signposted properly either.
If you drive an SUV with four wheel drive, you might also like to test its four wheel drive abilities and learn how to use them. I’ve lost count of the number of people I’ve had to help in snow who had highly capable vehicles, but had no idea how to drive in slippery conditions. Three times I’ve even had to show drivers how to engage four wheel drive and what a “locking diff” button was for.
So you expect the satillite systems to be OK? My guess is that is correct for most cases. But the main thing is to have a prepared place to go to and leaving early.
I have heard of a trucker’s map that is very detailed. It would show the small roads you described. Do ya’ll know what I am talking about? Sorry I don’t know much more than that.
GPS if you use that can’t they find you?
Thanks
Hey no name maybe “THEY” can track you by the magnetic strip on your drivers license.
“THEY” could also track your cell phone signals
But why?
I think armed military roadblocks on key intersections and natural boundaries like mountains, rivers, lakes would be likely.
Time to get out my aluminum foil and make a hat :)
no name, the maps (actually a book of maps) you’re looking for are gazetteers, there’s one available for each state, cost about $15–20 each. Walmart usually has them, if not check truck stops and larger RV dealers. They’re pretty good about showing back roads. If you live anywhere where the land isn’t nearly flat, you should also be able to read a topo map… what looks like a shortcut can turn into a 1,000 foot cliff if you can’t read a topo.
the topo maps from the US geological survey are very good if you think your are really going “off road” or down small dirt roads.
They will show up roads and things that most others do not. However, still say- first have a prepared place to go to and leave before the rush.
I have a handy little GPS thingy from Garmin called a “Nuvi”. It is preloaded with a base map (I update it every couple months) which you can add to, and a lovely voice comes out of it to navigate you as well. Pretty intuitive and user friendly—I bought it at Sam’s, and no, they aren’t cheap, but cheeper at Sam’s then at other retailers.
No Name - if you use your GPS can’t they find you?
Well perhaps using reconnaisance helicopters, night vision goggles, thermal infrared systems or stool-pigeons, yes.
But not with you basic handheld or vehicle mounted GPS unit. it is a passive receiver. It does not send out a signal to the satellites. NCIS and Tom Harmon(Gibbs) seem to somehow get a “lock” on every bad guys GPS unit every week. That is just bad Hollywood ignoramus writing.
A GPS unit is a sophisticated receiver that uses the signals transmitted to earth by a system of satellites to calculate exactly where you are. No tracking of individual units occurs.
But be sure to get rid of the DVD movies your kids are watching in the back seat. There are chips embedded in every DVD that allow Walt Disney to track your every move… ;-)
BB can’t afford aluminum foil, so he spray paints his forehead silver
The Gazateer brand name to look for is Delorme.
The USGS 7.5 minute topo maps are a bit too large scale for driving, you end up on the edge of the map befoe you know it, and unless you are really adept at reading them, it is hard for a lot of people to reconcile their scale with the scale that they used to for road maps. If you can find any of the old 15 minute topo maps they are better for driving, but the Delormes are really the best scale.
Unless there is a major solar flare, the GPS satellites should not have problems.
There are usually two to three times more roads actually on the ground than there are on even the USGS topo maps. Off road recreation has really taken off more since the maps were compiled. If you try to navigate on those topos by saying “okay, turn left at the next dirt road”, you may be turning at the wrong place. You need to pay attention more to distances and topography when reading those maps than by counting roads. (maybe not on the East coast and Midwest where there is more private property, but you do in the West where a lot is national forest and BLM land)
Practically, where GoogleEarth has acquired new high resoution images this year you would be able to reconcile the new roads with your paper maps and draw in the new roads. Delorme will send you free map pages if you send them updates.
GPS in only as good as the batteries in it (unless you get a car power connector), and in canyons the signal is likely to be blocked.
You can get Topo! (National Geographic) CD’s for your laptop, and plug the GPS into your laptop if you get the right system, and plot your location in real time.
With all of this^^^^ you should be able to plan some really good vacations away from it all.
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